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Whomever we select at #3, Browns fans should be happy |
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Written by AZBrowns; Browns 24/7 Staff Writer
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Sunday, 11 March 2007 |
 With a lot of bickering back and forth (a lot of which has included myself, some I have even initiated) within our boards about who is the "right choice" for the Cleveland Browns. I think we have lost sight on who we are cheering for here. We are the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, we are generally viewed in line with the 80's and 90's Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, The VANCOUVER Grizzlies, the Cleveland Indians of the 80's, The Bengals of the 90's and, yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the 70's and 80's. The Browns haven't tasted any real success in 20 years. Our playoff blips in the early 90's were short lived and we were lucky to get into the playoffs in the 2002 season.
Lately, on paper, we have been getting better. Many writers, "experts", fans thought we had a better team last year than the year before and we did. What was also widely thought was that it wouldn't reflect in the standings. Many people predicted us right where we finished, 4-12. Those same critics thought the Browns were a better overall team. Although we had a bad record, the Browns front office has not slept on it, spending over $150 million on free agents and draft picks since Phil Savaged arrived in Cleveland. The Browns have more pieces in place than your average 4-12 team.
However, with those spots filled there are several contrasts at several positions. Guys like Ted Washington, Willie McGinest, Alvin McKinley, Orpheus Roye, Joe Andruzzi, and Gary Baxter are clearly either too old, too brittle or not good enough to play any further. These are players at several key positions in both offensive and defensive schemes. That doesn't help a team filled with young potential pro bowl and all pro players on both sides.
That leads me to my point-- Whoever the Cleveland Browns draft should, and most likely will, help this team immediately. Whether it be Brady Quinn, Adrian Peterson, Joe Thomas, Calvin Johnson, Alan Branch or JaMarcus Russell.... it doesn't matter. Each one would fill a hole in the Cleveland Browns.
There are only 3 players on the Browns roster that should feel safe with their job- Kellen Winslow II, Kamerion Wimbley and Sean Jones. Last time I checked, we weren't interested in a Tight End, Linebacker or Safety in the draft. So that leaves every possible pick we have discussed as an option that would seemingly upgrade a position on a team that still needs a lot of fine tuning.
Brady Quinn has been about as attractive as Rosanne Barr to Browns fans lately. But the reality is that Quinn is a much, MUCH better prospect at QB than anyone we have. Swallow your pride and face it. His talent makes Charlie Frye look like a Juco player. He doesn't show up in every big game supposedly, but when your best target is a WR who poses as a better baseball prospect, you kind of get why. Even with our suspect line, Quinn would have weapons in Edwards, Winslow, Jurevicius, Jamal Lewis and Travis Wilson (who I think you REALLY need to look out for this year) and that is much more than he ever received at Notre Dame. If you run the ball successfully, then Quinn just may be able to hold in that pocket longer than Frye.
Adrian Peterson is a special talent. He runs a 4.3-4.4 40 and he runs with power and determination and can cut on a dime. A very smart football player who finds the hole faster than anyone we have seen drafted since LaDanian Tomlinson. People question his durability, but one positive sign that not many people with annual nagging injuries have, is the fact that he comes back and looks better every time. For an offense that got worse around him as the years went on, Peterson's performance, while it may not reflect in the numbers, elevated every day he entered the football field. With Eric Steinbach, Fraley, and Lewis, the Browns have a tone of support for Peterson. Imagine the Thunder and lightning. Also, keep in mind, with Lewis here, Peterson doesn't have to do the workload his entire first year.
Calvin Johnson would be an interesting pick. This would ALMOST follow the Detroit model, but Calvin Johnson is a very special WR. If he came to Cleveland, he would IMMEDIATELY be Frye's go-to guy. With that size and speed, the NFL hasn't seen a WR like this since Randy Moss. It would allow Edwards to move to the #2 role, or move out of town and eliminate us of his salary. For the time being, it would allow Jurevicius to move to the #3 WR role, where he thrived on his previous teams. If there were EVER a WR to just say "what the hell, let's take him because he is THAT special of a wide receiver" about. It's Calvin Johnson.
Joe Thomas is a big bruising left tackle who is an excellent run blocker and a good pass blocker who is expected to develop into a dominant one. He has a slight injury concern as well with an ACL tear on his record, but it should be noted that Thomas had his best season at Wisconsin AFTER the surgery. He beefed himself up from 290 to over 310 his senior season and didn't compromise his speed or lateral movement. He wouldn't have a hard time developing here next to Eric Steinbach and would help out Jamal Lewis by keeping the left side clear. Left tackle is a very important position and while I personally am not a huge fan of drafting this guy, he is clearly better than Kevin Shaffer and Ryan Tucker could be expendable. A move to a more natural role at RT could benefit Shaffer while developing a possible pro bowl left tackle next to a possible pro bowl left guard.
JaMarcus Russell is an interesting idea. The guy, while drawing virtually the same criticism as Vince Young, is clearly the most talented Quarterback. He has a rocket, is mobile and big. He is a lot like Daunte Culpepper, except he holds qualities and a physique that Culpepper couldn't touch with a 50-ft stripper pole on a cruise ship. Russell is battle tested and he succeeded. He has lost vital players to the NFL during his tenure at LSU and thrived even though more pressure was on him every game that passed. He would be a prospect if the Browns were to pull an upset. His game may fit the offense considering our weapons, but our system may take some getting used to for him. His combination of size, mobility and strength would make him a perfect fit for an offense that is established or looking to become so.
Alan Branch poses an immediate upgrade to a position where we have been in trouble at for many years. Branch is everything Gerard Warren wants to be- Big, smart, agile and athletic. He works hard and has improved consistently as a player. He compares to Ted Washington in his younger years. He may not get you a ton of stats, but the TEAM stats will reflect it and the play of each individual will reflect his importance. Branch could clog the hole making it hard for teams to run on us and allowing more blitzes for Wimbley which leads to disruption for the QB. Branch is a ripple-effect type player where he isn't glamorous or always in the spot light, but the type of player that makes everyone else around him better.
That leads me to the idea of trading down. This pipe dream has become more of a possibility in recent years. With many more possible pro bowl players at the top than in previous, recent years... the idea could be a reality. However, I do not think trading down without receiving an additional first day pick is acceptable. For a team that wants to trade up more than 5 spots, I would want their first round pick next year. But hey, that's just me. While stockpiling draft picks has worked in the success of several teams over the years, it has also exposed some teams inability to draft thus making the trade down irrelevant. It's a crapshoot. I am open for trading down but only if still got us one of the mentioned above players or Levi Brown. (Note: I like Gaines Adams, not SURE if he fits our scheme though)
I guess my point is this-- We are the Browns. We have won a grand total of 19 games in the four seasons since our playoff tragedy. I am pretty sure we aren't downgrading ANY position with our draft picks. We should realize that the player you or I least want (#3 pick candidates only) is most likely an upgrade at their given position. While no one wants to BE the Cleveland Browns, the majority of teams in the league would want our draft position.... especially in a draft like this. |
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